Sometimes a bargain is just too good to pass up! How does $399 sound for airfare from the East Coast to Prague, hotel 3 nights, 3 full breakfasts, local taxes, 3-day city transit pass and a 3 day museum pass? Yep, too good to resist. As soon as I saw this little gem, I emailed my best friend and within 24 hours we were exchanging preferred travel dates. We left the U.S. on Friday night, January 9th (my birthday) and returned home on the following Tuesday afternoon.

Now the first question that comes to your mind is: "Don't you get jet lagged?" Yes, a little but not that much. You are not really overseas long enough for your body to fully adjust to European time so the return home is not too bad. The hard part is the morning you arrive in Europe having had only 2 or 3 hours' sleep on the plane. The trick here is to keep going - don't stop for a nap! - then hit the sack early that first night.

The second question is: "Is it worth such a long trip for such a short time?" At this price, yes! You can do a lot of sightseeing in 3 days. I have traveled to Europe many times for a long weekend and enjoyed every trip. Of course the reason the price is so cheap is that the off-season weather is cold and rainy and icy, typical winter weather for this part of the world, but if you dress for it, you don't mind. And then there are all those cozy coffee houses and beer pubs to visit when your feet get tired or your nose gets cold.

And the third question is: "Where do you find those bargains?" This one was announced on the frommers.com newsletter, one of my favorite travel newsletters. I extolled the virtues of this newsletter in my book and do so again here. Visit the site. - www.frommers.com - and sign up for the newsletter. It comes out daily and you can scan the headlines in only a minute or less and click on those items of interest to you. Once a trip is posted to the newsletter it is then archived to the site until the expiration date passes. One of the chapters of my book, "The Single Parent Travel Handbook," is devoted to hunting down bargains such as this one.

Now to tell you a little bit about Prague, a charming medieval city, once the capital of Czechoslovakia, now the capital of the Czech Republic. (Slovakia split off years ago and formed its own country). After years of Communist domination Prague is coming back into its own; restaurants are popping up everywhere, especially in the downtown tourist sections. Tiny little coffee houses with 3 or 4 tables are everywhere and all are cozy respites from the winter cold or the summer crowds. Outdoor beer gardens are heated and covered so you can enjoy them year round. Czech beer (very good) is the national beverage. Flavorful, but not heavy, it makes a fine accompaniment to a typical Czech meal.

Now let's talk about one of my favorite travel topics - food! Restaurant prices are moderate, about 2/3 of what you would pay stateside so you can eat like a king or a queen and not blow your budget. Game is often featured on menus; especially duck and the Czechs know how to prepare it. I ate it twice while in Prague, once with raspberry sauce and a second time with a light gravy, both times absolutely delicious. If anyone is planning a trip to Prague and wants some restaurant recommendations, drop me an email and I will rummage through my restaurant receipts and prepare a list for you. My email is Brenda@singleparenttravel.net.

There is an adequate selection of pricey deluxe chain hotels in and around the tourist areas but unfortunately, unlike Western Europe, small moderately priced hotels are few and far between in the downtown areas. We stayed at the Alpha Hotel, a delightful 3 star property about 10 minutes tram ride from the downtown area. I recommend it highly. The trams are frequent, clean, and fun to ride, plus those big windows give you a great view of the city. Once we figured out the tram route map, we were riding them like the locals.

Sightseeing options in and around the city of Prague are endless. The number one must-see is Prague Castle, a mini-city within the city, strategically located on a high hill overlooking the river and the city. You need to allow at least ¾ of a day to see the major attractions that include St. Vitus Cathedral, various chapels, quaint shops and museums, including a museum dedicated to Barbie. Did you know that the Barbie Doll originated in the Czech Republic? Back then she was a more voluptuous lady sporting all types of lacy underwear. Somewhere down the line Mattel bought out the rights, slimmed down the doll, added Ken and the rest is history.

Prague is one of the oldest cities in Europe and many of its tourist attractions date back to 1000 A. D. or earlier. Like much of Europe, it is also a very cultural city. One of the highlights of our weekend was a one-hour midday classical concert in Prague Castle. Seated in a pastel-colored room with 20 other tourists, my friend and I enjoyed the famous melodies of Mozart, Dvorak, Bach and Vivaldi as played by a flutist, a violinist and a pianist. The cost per ticket: only $15.00.

Following our day in Prague Castle, we meandered over the pedestrian-only Charles Bridge, famous for its statuary. By then the rain had started again but it did not dampen our spirits. It was back to the U Prince Beer Garden in the Old Town for a refreshing brew and a bite to eat.

Another famous attraction is the Old Jewish Cemetery, near the river in the Old Town or Stare Mesto as it is called. This remarkable site was, for over 300 years, the only burial ground permitted to Jews. Still corresponding to its medieval size, gravestones are piled 12 layers deep. We bought the package ticket for all the tourist attractions of the Jewish Quarter, including the stark but striking memorial to the Holocaust victims of the Czech Republic.

Besides the coffee houses and the museums, the quaint little shops begged for our attention. Bohemian crystal is everywhere and its beauty hard to resist. We purchased several small gifts for family and friends (and ourselves!) at very, very reasonable prices.

That ends our mini tour of Prague. I hope you are inspired to travel there someday and "Czech" it out for yourself.

Happy Trails! GlobalBrenda

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